Winter
by Pranktical Joker
Summary: While taking a moment's reprieve, Aqua thinks of the cold season and the joys it has brought to her and her two friends.


_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Happy reading!_

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Winter, for many, is a terrible season.

It's not that hard to see why many don't like winter, and I don't blame them. After all, it can get horribly cold, and even at the warmest time of the day, the air remains chilly at best. While it doesn't snow often here in our land, when it does, the sky seems to unload two years' worth of snow in one go. The most challenging part is the cleaning-up part, which my two friends and I have been instructed to do today.

Before you jump into conclusions, let me clear something up: we are _not_ groundsmen, although sometimes we do assume the duties of one. We are the pupils of one of the only two currently active Keyblade Masters, and his name is Eraqus—Master Eraqus. Our primary duty is to help him maintain the balance between light and darkness across worlds, and our days are mostly spent for training sessions so that we would always stay fit to be dispatched at any time and accomplish the missions issued to us. In addition, we are required to do so strictly in a covert manner; commoners aren't aware of the existence of other worlds, and it has to be kept that way.

Well, I guess that's enough of our background.

Earlier, I did mention something about winter being unwelcome for some. But do I fall under that same group of people who think that way?

To be honest, I'm not sure if I do. What I'm sure of, though, is that I know at least my friends don't. I'd even hazard a guess that these two actually enjoy it more than any other time of the year, especially when it comes to clearing the snow.

It used to be a mundane task. Terra and I would split up so that we could cover more area in less time. The longest the whole process had ever taken was probably four hours or so, which isn't really all that bad considering the sheer size of the castle grounds—that's right, we live in a castle. After that, to thank us for our efforts, Master Eraqus would declare the remainder of the day a free time, so that we could get some rest or do anything we like.

But it all turned upside down when our family expanded. Somehow, he turns this chore into one that's a far cry from being dull.

It wasn't even two years since Ven—his name is Ventus, but he insisted to be called that way—was taken under the Master's wing, but he has brought some zest into our daily life. At thirteen, he's the youngest among us and doesn't seem to be bothered by that fact, but he absolutely dislikes being treated like a child. Although at first he was shy, he quickly warmed up to us and is now a bouncing ball of energy. He loves training as much as he does playing, and while it's true that he could get overboard sometimes, he's a very sweet boy.

Ven's arrival seemed to affect Terra the most. They quickly bonded and became like the best of brothers. Thanks to Ven, Terra is no longer a stoic and aloof boy he was a few years ago, and I found out that he has a caring side as well. The weird thing about them, though, is that the extent of competition between those two is just ridiculous; I remember that time when they challenged each other to be the first to finish doing the dishes. However, I'm glad that Ven has a role model to look up to, and Terra's got someone to really care about.

And back to the here and now, they are at it again with their silliness you can only observe here and nowhere else.

Here I am, sitting on a bench by the edge of this square, watching two silly, immature boys engaged in a snowball fight. Well, alright, one of them hasn't even reached puberty yet, but you'd be surprised seeing the other one acting absolutely nothing like his age. They're very loud and just won't stop shouting, accusing each other for not playing by the rules, although the happy smiles on their faces are unmistakable.

I'm getting the uncanny impression that it's just a matter of time before they go completely bananas and their throws wildly erratic. Once, Terra hit me square in the face with a particularly big ball of snow, and before I could even think of retaliating, Ven sneaked up on me from behind and seized my nape with his ice-cold palms. That won't happen again this time around, for as soon as I see a stray snowball landing anywhere near me, I'm going to give the boys something to shudder from.

You see? That's one of the reasons why Terra and Ven love winter like nobody else. I'm even starting to think that I'm beginning to love the season as well for all the joy that comes in the form of snow. Of course, it comes with a price; last year, the Master wasn't exactly pleased upon seeing us mess around instead of doing what we were asked to do, but from the expression on his face, I knew he didn't mind one bit. I think he knew that we deserve to have a great fun, and because of that, I'm glad.

Looking at Ven and Terra's happiness fills my heart with warmth. I know it sounds strange, considering I'm out here in the cold... but I just can't deny this feeling that surfaces only when we're enjoying one another's company. I just want to enjoy this moment as long as it lasts, where we're free to fool around and clump life's problems and worries into a snowball and throw them into all directions.

I wish, from the bottom of my heart, that our friendship will still be going strong, and that nothing can ever separate us.


End file.
